Body protective armor



Feb 15, 1938. N, D HELLAN'D 2,108,336 I BODY PROTECTIVE ARMOR Filed June 16, 1957 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in body protective armor, such as is used by football players.

It is the primary object of the present invention to add to a generally conventional shoulder pad assembly a set of ribprotecting pads arranged to receive support from the shoulder pad and to accommodate themselves to the wearers body to be closely fitted comfortably to a variety of wearers.

Heretofore shoulder pads have not been provided with rib protection. A shoulder pad of given size is readily adaptable to wear by persons of widely differing build, but the addition of rib protection would frequently make it necessary to fit each shoulder pad to a particular player. It is the object of the present invention to provide rib protection so flexibly connected to the shoulder pad as to be practically self-adjusting not merely for the accommodation of the different requirements of different players, but also for accommodating the breathing movements of the middle section of each player.

Other objects will appear from the following disclosure.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of football protective harness embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a view in cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

Like parts are designated by the same refer- 35 ence characters throughout the several views.

It will be understood that the device illustrated is usually Worn beneath the football jersey of the player. The shoulder pad assembly, being generally conventional, will not be described in detail. It preferably includes left and right front body elements 5 and 6, respectively, connected at the shoulder to left and right rear bodily elements 1 and 8, respectively. Each element is provided with an eyeletted flap 9 whereby the left and right elements can be adjustably secured together by front lacings I0 and rear lacings II. The shoulders are conventionally protected by shoulder caps l4 and overlapping epaulets l5. Each of the various front and rear body ele- 50 ments, the shoulder caps, and the epaulets, is preferably made in the usual manner of fiber or the like with felt padding as indicated at l6.

In accordance with the present invention, I provide the rib protecting elements which I preferably cut to provide a distinct downward sweep beneath the wearers arm pit, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, in addition to being curved to fit about the sides of the wearers body, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

These rib protecting guard elements are pivoted to the front body elements 5 and 6 of the device. While they may also be pivoted to the rear body elements, I have found it convenient to rivet the rib guards to the rearbody elements l and 8 at points as shown in Fig. 2. By thus rigidly anchoring the rear ends of the rib guards, I render more effective my preferred mounting of the front ends thereof which includes the suspension of the front ends on links 2| (Fig. 1) or the equivalent laces 22 (Fig. 4).

In either case the front ends of the rib guards are not merely supported for angular movement about their pivotal connection with the links 2| or the laces 22, but are also free for bodily inward or outward movement without change of angular position. Where the lacings 22 are used the fiaps 23 may be of suiiicient length to provide extra eyelets to Which the lacings may selectively be applied to effect an initial adjustment of the rib guards to the bodily dimensions of a particular player. The use of the lacings at 24 to limit the expansive movement of the rib guards is optional, as ordinarily the rib guards will hang in close conformity to the body of the wearer, being expanded and contracted in accordance with his breathing and other bodily movement.

The rib guards 2i] and 20', like the other parts of the protective armor, are preferably made of fiber with a suitable lining such as the felt shown at 25.

I have found that without the linkage suspension of the front end of the rib guards, there is a tendency for the front end to tilt bodily in the course of its expansion or contraction, thus causing one of its margins to press into the wearers body, greatly to his discomfort. The same result will ordinarily follow if the back end, as well as the front end, is pivotally mounted. However, by rigidly fixing the position of the back of each rib guard and by providing a suspension mounting for the front end thereof, every movement of the players body will be accommodated by the rib guard without discomfort.

I claim:

1,. The combination with supporting means having front and rear portions, of a rib guard element connected to the rear portion of thehaving front and rear portions, of a rib guard element having a substantially rigid connection with the rear portion, and a pivotal connection with the front portion of said supporting means.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with supporting means having front and rear portions, of a rib guard element connected with the rear portion and provided with means suspending its front end from the front portion of said supporting means for bodily as well as pivotal movement with respect thereto.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with supporting means having front and rear portions, of an encircling rib guard element extending between said portions and provided with means connecting it rigidly to the rear portion, and suspension means pivotally connected at its respective ends to the front portion and to the front of said rib guard element.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shoulder pad having front and rear elements, of a pair of encircling rib guard elements, each of which is provided with a connection to respective rear elements of said shoulder pad, and each of which is provided with a link pivoted to its end and to the respective front element.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with supporting means having front and rear elements, of a pair of encircling rib guard elements connected to said rear elements, and provided at their front ends with suspension means adjustably connecting such front ends to said front elements.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shoulder pad comprising front and rear body elements, of encircling rib guards rigidly connected with the rear body elements and provided at their front ends with suspension links pivotally connected to such ends and to said front elements.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shoulder pad comprising front and rear elements, of rib-guards rigidly connected with the rear elements, the front elements being provided with eyelets, and said rib guards having suspending laces adjustably connecting their front ends'with predetermined eyelets.

NELEAN D. HELLAND. 

